Forever
by 808tenshi
Summary: Nanoha/Fate. One-shot. Theme set: "Forever"- taken from Eagle's One-Sentence fic. @Aki-gaki: Moo. I'll apologize here for any OOC-ness.


**Disclaimer:** The Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha series' and its contents are property of its respective owners. This is a fan-work.

**Unbeta-ed****: **Sorry, I didn't feel like harassing Raerae. So, any mistakes are mine and mine alone.

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**Forever**-

"Are you serious?" Those three words were delivered in a calm that spoke volumes more then any shout would have.

Burgundy eyes stared straight ahead into slate-blue with a look of conviction that said her mind would not be swayed.

"Yes."

The answer was simple, even as that flicker of remorse flitted across her face.

"And, you just decided this on your own?" The brunette could feel her temperature rising and the pounding of her heart echoing in her head.

It wasn't something unexpected. In fact, she'd known that it would come to this eventually given the blonde's career path, it was just-- She hadn't been expecting it to hurt so much. However rational or irrational her behavior was right now, it wasn't something that she had any control over. Though both women had nearly perfected the art of the masquerade, the cracks were there to those who knew them well enough.

While more often then not, Fate's true feelings shown in her eyes, Nanoha's were reflected in her voice, in what was both said and unsaid. The "Lyrical Mage," that's what she was, after all.

So, in her calm, an enemy had more to fear from her than any raving lunatic.

The blonde sighed, "It was something that I decided a long time ago, Nanoha. You knew and you supported it then."

Silence. That was the truth, there was nothing she could say to that, could she? After all, what Fate wanted should have been what she wanted. Her heart clenched and unclenched painfully with each breath.

"When?" It was difficult to keep her voice from quivering, but that's what she was good at; keeping that unshakable facade going.

"In a week. I leave in a week." This time, Fate didn't bother to disguise the distress she felt as she reached out toward the aerial mage, looking to provide some kind of comfort, only to have her hand slapped away.

"I see." Eye adverted, Nanoha turned. "I'm sorry, Fate-chan. I have to go outside for a bit."

She couldn't stay there. The walls were too close, the air was too thin and the woman standing opposite of her, the look of pain on her face and her hand frozen in mid-air, made her feel like screaming. So she turned and walked out, shutting the door quietly behind her. The last thing that she saw, before the threshold was sealed was Fate's hand dropping limply to her side.

Nanoha loved the sky--the purity, the depth, the freedom of it--she had since the first time she'd flown. But today, that azure infinity mocked her. It was what would take what she most treasured away from her and it was that depth and boundlessness that would keep them apart. So, she ran, without any idea where she was going, she wanted to do or what she would do when she got back. Her body sought the pure physical strain of it and she pushed her self, taking a semi-masochistic pleasure in the feeling of the burning in her legs and lungs. Twilight had fallen before she stopped, too physically and emotionally exhausted to go further.

Her legs had taken her to a small knoll near overlooking a river, miles from her house. Nanoha flopped down, letting the grass beneath her cool her body. Staring blankly into the sky, her eye-lids drooped as the slow, steady rush of water and twinkling of the stars above her began to lull her to sleep.

As she was about to drift off, warm arms encircled her body, cradling her neck and legs as she felt herself lifted skyward. Startled, her body jerked instinctively pulling away, even as her mind registered who was holding her; slender arms tightened and refused to let go of the struggling body. Wind-blown strands of silky blonde hair tickled her face as their ascent slowed, showering her in a scent and touch that were all too familiar.

"Did you think you could just run away from me?" A complicated myriad of emotions passed through the garnet-hued eyes that stared down at her.

At the nearly ethereal image of the blonde's face, stunningly silhouetted in the moon light, Nanoha felt her throat constrict.

"Let me go, please. I'll fly on my own." The words sounded choked and rough.

"No." Fate smiled softly, at the brunette's glare. What an amusing sight that was, that forced pout with the large moon reflecting in her eyes.

"Fate, I said, let me--"

Lips pressed against hers, efficiently silencing the White Mage's for a fleeting moment that lasted an eternity.

"Aishiteru."

A soft and simple, but everlasting declaration. A vow that things would work out, that they would be alright no matter what.

A tear slipped from the corner of Nanoha's sapphire-blue eyes before she wrapped her arms around Fate's neck and kissed her back

_Though time and space may separate us, it will never keep us apart. In the end, I'll always return to you._

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**A/N**-

Well, first MGLN fandom fic. Woo. Based on: Theme Set #38, taken from Eagle8819's One-sentence fic.

My debt to Eagle is hereby repaid, as per our agreement- Tit-for-tat. One-shots really aren't my normal thing, but I suppose it's better than not finishing, huh? I'm going to get called corny for this, but I like happy endings. So, bite me. Sorry, it's so short... but... oh well.

I doubt it, but if you want more from me in this fandom, it's your job to encourage Eagle to write. For every one that she does, I'll match it. Heh.

As always, feel free to drop a correction, comment, flame, whatever. If not, thanks for reading.

**Kanji Lesson**:

愛してる - "Aishiteru" or "I love you." - As of late, I don't really care to insert much Japanese into fics, but I kind of felt that "Aishiteru" has more of an impact. I think it sounds nicer than "I love you," anyway. :P


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